Espresso Recipe

Preheat and rinse

Turn the espresso machine on and allow it to reach stable operating temperature (usually 15–30 minutes). Flush 20 ml of hot water through the group head and into the cup to heat the group and cup; discard or keep for tea.

Weigh and grind

Weigh 18 g of freshly roasted espresso beans. Grind to a fine, consistent grind appropriate for your machine (should feel like table salt and produce an extraction time around 25–30 seconds). Adjust grind size finer if the shot runs too fast, coarser if too slow.

Dose and distribute

Place the portafilter on the scale, tare it, and dose the 18 g of ground coffee into the portafilter basket. Use a distribution tool or gentle taps/leveling to distribute the grounds evenly, eliminating large voids.

Tamp

Using a flat tamper, apply firm, level pressure (about 20–30 lbs / 9–14 kg) to compress the grounds into an even puck. Polish with a slight twist to smooth the surface. Wipe any loose grounds from the basket rim and portafilter.

Lock in and start extraction

Insert and lock the portafilter into the machine's group head. Place a preheated shot glass or demitasse on the scale under the spouts and tare the scale. Start the extraction and simultaneously time it.

Measure yield and time

Aim for a 1:2 brew ratio: 18 g espresso -> 36 ml liquid (yield) in 25–30 seconds. Stop the shot when the scale reads ~36 ml (or when extraction time reaches your target). If using weight instead of volume, aim for 36 g yield.

Serve

Wipe the group gasket and spouts, knock out the spent puck, and present the freshly brewed espresso immediately in the warmed cup. Enjoy as is or use as the base for milk drinks.

Purge a short burst of water through the group to clear remaining grounds. Rinse and dry the portafilter, clean the steam wand if used, and wipe down the machine. Backflush according to manufacturer schedule.